5 new police officers join the force in Town of Wallkill

TOWN OF WALLKILL — Five new Wallkill police officers – three full-timers and two part-timers – were sworn in on Thursday.

One of the full-timers will be starting soon; the other two will attend the police academy first, town Supervisor Dan Depew said.

When they’re all on the job, Wallkill will have 21 full-time officers and nine part-timers; plus four detectives, a lieutenant, the chief, two part-time civilian staff and a part-time animal control officer who was hired earlier this year. There was no animal control officer in 2012.

The town started to hire part-time officers in mid-2012, saying it would reduce overtime costs and stress on full-timers working mandated overtime shifts.

So far in 2013, the town has spent $8,000 less in overtime compared with this period last year, Depew said. The town spent $390,000 on police overtime in 2012.